Marek Michalek's Blog

How To Pick The Best
Photographer For Your Portfolio

You're a tiger!

You’ve gone this far in your research; you now want to pick
the right photographer. You are in luck because there are thousands of
photographers you can work with. As a new model there are tons of people who
are willing to work with you for free. Great right? The old saying you get what
you pay for could not be truer at this stage. You can certainly build a portfolio with
budding photographers but you will not get the results of an experienced
professional.

What to Look for In A
Photographer

Consistent Quality

Look to see if they have a good sample of high quality work.
Photographers have work displayed all over the internet. They may have Flickr
accounts, Facebook fanpages, Model Mayhem portfolios, and portfolio websites.
Take a look at these different portfolios and see if they have a consistent
amount of work you think is high quality. You can even look at dates of those
being published to see the evolution of their work

Shooting Style

Does the photographers work match the style of work you want
to pursue? If you want to become a high fashion run way model look for a
photographer that has experience lighting and posing a more avante guard style
of work. Conversely if you want to be on the cover of the Sports Illustrated
swimsuit edition, that takes a very different style of posing lighting, and
composition. Think about what target market your portfolio will attract, and
what look you are trying to achieve.

Processing Style

The final images you will receive can be very different from
what you see while shooting in the photographers LCD screen. Some photographers
go for a very natural untouched look, while others do a fair bit of processing.
This can include adding various filters, a varying amount of skin retouching,
or other artistic choices. These come down to personal preference. Try to
examine how the images have been touched up and if that adds to detracts value
for you as a client. There can be a fine line between interesting looking and
tacky.

Niche vs. Versatility

Some photographer’s images all look the same; while some are
so varied it’s hard to imagine the same photographer took all those shots. When
you are starting off it’s nice a get a range of different looks in your
portfolio so it’s helpful to look for someone who can shoot and edit a lot of
styles. If you have a specific style of modeling in mind hiring a photographer
who specializes in that is your best way to go.

Personality

Starting off as a model can be pretty intimidating/scary. It
can be nerve racking being in front of the camera as a novice especially when
you are working with a complete stranger. I believe it’s critical to work with
someone with whom you can create a good rapport with and have fun while
shooting. There are incredibly talented artists out there who have zero social
skills and create discomfort for new models. Often discomfort seeps into the
images and the final product is not ideal. Pick someone you will enjoy shooting
with. Not only will a good experience produce better results, but it will
encourage you to continue shooting.